Read 'Matilda' With NPR's Backseat Book Club

The hardest part about choosing a Roald Dahl book for NPR's Backseat Book Club is deciding which one to read! His imagination was so free-ranging — from a magical chocolate factory to a giant peach to quick witted fox — he gave us a lot to choose from.

But we love reading so we had to choose to choose Matilda, who is able to survive her parents' neglect with the help of books. The plucky heroine teaches herself to read by age 3, finds her own way to the library by age 4 — and with the help of her magical abilities and her kind teacher Miss Honey — she takes on the brutish school headmistress Miss Trunchbull. With vivacious drawings by Quentin Blake, the story celebrates Matilda's love of books, and the joy they bring to her absurdly dark world.

Now, a request for our young readers. We need to hear from you. "Matilda" by Roald Dahl is November's Backseat Book Club selection. The plucky heroine teaches herself to read by age three and is always the wisest voice on each page. Be sure to read along and, most importantly, send in your questions for our book club discussion. Our email is BackSeatBookClub@NPR.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.